Teaching about La Tomatina in Spanish Class

La Tomatina is held on on the last Wednesday of August in Buñol, Spain. The origin of the largest food fight in the world is unclear. The theories of how it began in 1945 include a food fight among friends that escalated, an angry man who fell off of a parade float picked a fight with the crowd and they defended themselves with tomatoes, or an overturned tomato truck which turned into a food fight. Regardless of how it began, the people of Buñol enjoyed it so much that it became a yearly tradition called the Tomatina Festival.

The Tomatina begins with people attempting to climb a greased wooden pole with a ham on top. When someone reaches the ham, the event begins. Trucks full of tomatoes roll into the small town and the tomato throwing gets underway. Did you know there are rules for the Tomatina?

There are lots of great photographs and video clips of the Tomatina. I compiled the the background information, photos, and video clips for students in a Tomatina PowerPoint Presentation with English and Spanish versions. I also created an infographic template for students to take notes or research the Tomatina.

I'm not sure I'll ever be brave enough to take part in the Tomatina, but it is definitely fascinating to see others having so much fun getting pelted by and covered in tomatoes! I hope your students will love learning about the Tomatina!